Volatile
by Raivis-Latvijas
Summary: Andelko and Novak seemed like the perfect couple. When Novak kicks Andelko out and files for divorce, what kind of secrets will be discovered? What will transpire from the "happy couple" separating and going their own ways? OCs, multiple pairings.
1. In The Beginning

Andelko walked into the front door of his home cautiously; he knew what awaited him inside. Glancing around, he spotted his husband, Novak, standing in the kitchen, arms crossed, expression melancholic.

"Novak…" He muttered, approaching the man slowly. Novak looked to the side to a suitcase sitting on the floor.

"Out." The Serb simply stated.

"Novak, please don't do this… We can work things out…" Andelko pleaded to his husband of five years.

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be, Andy… Pack your things, and leave." Novak said quietly; if he spoke any louder his voice would crack and show his despair.

"N-Novak, please… I can get another job; i-it can't end like this…" Andelko reached out for Novak's hands, but the Serbian pulled his hands away and pointed towards the suitcase.

"Pack and leave, Andelko. I-I won't say it again." Novak struggled to keep his voice calm. Andelko let out a shuddered breath and grabbed the suitcase, heading to the upstairs bedroom and beginning to pack.

He couldn't believe this was happening. Novak was forcing him out of his Los Angeles household over a lost job. Andelko had been the perfect husband to the other; he had never done anything bad to the Serbian, or anything to compromise his happiness, until he lost his job. Andelko had worked as a construction worker; not a very high-demand job, which is what resulted in his being let go.

He and Novak had met six years ago in a restaurant; at the time, Novak had been a waiter, while Andelko had been working in construction. Novak was getting a college education to become a teacher, earning money with his waiting job. The two had become friends through the night, Andelko's co-worker Pavla deciding to leave early oh-so conveniently in order to give Andelko a chance to ask Novak out.

Things had kicked off from there, and on the day that had marked a year since their meeting, Andelko proposed marriage to the other man. They got married in Andelko's home town Komina, on the Croatian island of Vis. It was a relatively small wedding, but a nice one regardless.

They had been married for five years; in those five years, Andelko witnessed his husband's college graduation, and further his employment at a high school, teaching Anatomy and Physiology. Andelko had stayed with construction, receiving no promotions, and only an occasional pay raise. The two made enough money to buy a decent home, but now, because of Andelko's loss of his job, it was going to only be Novak's home. It raised the question; where was Andelko going to stay?

In the midst of packing, Andelko took his cell phone out of his pocket. Looking through his contacts, he called a few numbers, either receiving no answer, or receiving no assurance of a place to stay. Reaching his final contact; a friend named Tino Väinämöinen-Kirzigian, he received an answer.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey, Tino… I-I'm kind of in a… a situation here."

"_Andelko, you sound terrible… What happened?"_

"N-Novak's kicking me out… I-I need a place to stay…"

"_Oh Andy… I'm so sorry to hear about that. You can come stay with Alex and I for as long as you need."_

"Thank you so much, Tino… I-I owe you so much for this…"

"_You don't owe me anything, Andelko. I'll see you in a little while, alright? I'll get the guest room ready for you; I'm sure you'll want to relax."_

"Yeah… I-I'll see you soon…" With that, Andelko hung up. He finished packing his things; clothes, a few photos, and mementos from his past, as well as important papers he would need.

He headed downstairs with his luggage, feeling more weight on his shoulders than what was in his suitcase. He glanced into the living room, where he saw Novak sitting on the couch, speaking into his cell phone in Serbian. Andelko used all his will to turn away from the sight and walk out the door. He headed to his gray Chevrolet Impala, tossing his luggage in the trunk, then going around to the driver's side. He got in the car, sighing heavily. He looked to the dashboard of his car, seeing the familiar photo taped there. He reached forwards and grabbed it, looking at it somberly. It was a photo from three years ago of him and Novak.

Despite the fact that he knew those times were over, Andelko tucked the picture into his pants pocket, then turned his attention to his current objective of getting to Tino's house without breaking down.

When he got to the house, he parked in the street, getting out of the vehicle and heading up to the front door. He rung the doorbell, and soon the door was answered by a certain Finnish man who Andelko trusted to help him through this rough time.

"Come on in, Andy… Take a seat in the living room, if you'd like… I've just got to put sheets and covers on the bed in the guest room for you, and then I'll be back down, alright?"

"Y-Yeah…" Andelko said quietly. He made his way to the living room of the two-story country house, wishing he could admire such a lovely home, but sadly, with his mind so stuck in shock and depression, he couldn't.

He sat on one of the tan couches, posture rigid. He couldn't relax one bit. He was joined in the living room by Tino's architect husband Alexianos, who gave him a sad look, sitting down beside him.

"Tino told me that Novak kicked you out… I'm very sorry to hear it. You two were such a great couple… Can I ask what happened…?" Alex questioned, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"… I-I lost my job… W-We hadn't been arguing or anything; he just… he just decided to kick me out based on that one thing… w-we both know that with only one of us having a job, we won't be able to pay for everything we need so… H-He told me to leave, a-and even though I hate it, I-I listened to him…"

"He's kicking you out over something like _that_…? That's just downright ridiculous… There has to be something more to him wanting you to leave."

"A-As far as I know… that's the only reason…"

ooo

"Ivan, I-I… I had to kick Andelko out."

"_You what?"_

"I had to kick him out… H-He lost his job." Novak struggled to stay calm as he talked on the phone with an old high school friend of his. Andelko had just left the house, after Novak had commanded him to leave.

"_Is it just over him losing his job, comrade? Or is there something else to it?" _The man on the phone was a Russian man, who Novak worked with. Ivan was a Biology teacher at the high school with Novak also taught at.

"I-I cheated on him once…"

"_When?"_

"Two months ago… I-I didn't mean for it to happen, but it did, and it's been weighing on my conscience ever since… A-Andelko deserves someone better than me, after what I did."

"_Novak, this is absurd. Why don't you just tell him about you cheating on him just that once? I'm sure he'll understand."_

"N-No he won't-"

"_Yes, he will, Nova-"_

"No, he won't, Ivan. He-"

"_Novak, listen to me. Andelko will understand, I'm sure. The person you cheated on him with will probably never come into contact with either of you for as long as you-"_

"It was with his best friend, Ivan! His best fucking friend! You can't tell me that Andelko would understand that!" Novak exclaimed. There was silence on the other line for a moment.

"_You did it with Branko."_

"Y-Yes, I did…"

"_Branko, of all people."_

"Y-Yes, Ivan. Branko Njegos."

"_Andelko's coworker and best friend."_

"Yes! For fuck's sake, yes! Stop making me repeat it!"

"… _Comrade, you've fucked up. Big time."_

"Y-You think I don't know this?"

"_I know you know, Novak… I'm just shocked that you would make such a mistake."_

"I-I know… I hate myself for it; I-I've hated myself for two months now…"

"_Well… I would say it's not to late, but seeing that you've kicked Andelko out, and you refuse to tell him about what you did, it kind of is… I would just say to go through with a divorce, and try to get as much out of it as you can. Not to sound mean or anything, but being a fellow teacher, I know that a salary pay like the one we get isn't going to pay for a house like yours by itself. You need to get as much money out of the divorce as possible."_

"I-I couldn't take everything away from him like that…"

"_Novak, you've already cheated on him, and forced him out of the house. You may as well take everything you can from him while you're at it."_

"Wh-When did you become so heartless, Ivan?"

"_If you don't remember, I lost everything in a divorce two years ago. Believe me, Novak. You do not want to be on the losing side of something like that. I nearly lost my job because of Tino leaving me, because I had no money to pay for anything, which drove me into depression, and near homelessness. If my father hadn't helped me out, I would have ended up on the streets without my home, or my job."_

"I-I still couldn't bring myself to do that to Andelko… H-He just lost his job, and I just kicked him out. What more does he have to lose? I-I honestly can't take much more from him."

"_You can still get money out of him."_

"I-I don't want his money, Ivan. Don't you understand? I-I… I don't want to hurt him anymore…"

"_Then why don't you just take him back?"_

"I-I can't."

"_God damn, Novak; you need to make up your fucking mind! You kicked him out for losing his job after you're the one who cheated on him, but you don't want to have the advantage in a divorce, even after what you've already done! Since you don't want anything out of the divorce, it'd be easier to just take him back and try to get forgiveness out of him, but no! You can't make up your fucking mind! Listen to me, Novak. Do you want him out of your life, or not?"_

"I-I don't know… I-Ivan, I just don't know. I'm s-so confused right now, I-"

"_Novak, make up your fucking mind! Do you want him out!"_

"Y-Yes…"

Ivan sighed heavily. _"Then you'll have to go through with a divorce."_

"But d-do I have to take everything from him…? I-I'd rather not…"

"_It'd be best if you tried to get as much out of it as you can. I know a good lawyer; I'll send you his information in a text, and I'll have you go from there. Believe me, Novak. You'll be much happier, and much less confused, when this is all over with, and you have what you need to live."_

"O-Okay…"

"_I'm going to get off the phone now, alright? I will speak with you later. Remember everything I've told you tonight."_

"A-Alright… Talk to you later, Ivan" with that, Novak hung up. He set his phone on the coffee table in front of him and shook his head.

"I can't believe I'm actually going to do this…" The blonde-haired man muttered.

ooo

The morning after the night Andelko had been kicked out of his home, he awoke with such unfamiliar cold beside him. It took him a moment to realize it, but the thought finally processed and he remembered where he was. Tino and Alexianos' house. He had been kicked out of Novak's last night after losing his job as a construction worker.

He glanced at the clock on the nightstand and sighed, sitting up. It was just past nine in the morning. He glanced around, realizing the fact that one of the two other men in the house had taken the suitcase from the trunk of Andelko's car and brought it up to the room. Andelko got up out of the bed, walking over to the suitcase and grabbing some clothes. He had vague memory of where the upstairs bathroom was; he figured taking a shower wouldn't hurt anything, so he proceeded to leave the bedroom, and head to the bathroom.

The shower felt incredibly refreshing; it somehow relaxed his tense muscles, and kept them from becoming taught once again. After about a twenty minute shower, he got out and dried off, getting dressed for what was most likely going to be an uneventful day.

He exited the bathroom, tossing his dirty clothes in his bedroom, before heading downstairs. An inviting smell came from the kitchen; obviously Tino was making breakfast. He meandered into the kitchen, and was greeted with a smile by the Finnish man.

"Morning, Andy. Did you sleep alright? I hope that bed wasn't hard as a rock; no one really sleeps on it."

"I slept great, actually. A bit tense when I got up, but a shower helped that. How did you sleep, Tino?" Andelko asked out of politeness.

"I slept great, thanks for asking. I have to head to work here in an hour, so I'm kind of rushing to get things done. I still have paperwork to do that I was supposed to have finished last night. Damn procrastination." Tino laughed lightly.

"No kidding." Andelko stated, chuckling.

"You're up earlier than I expected, Andelko." Alexianos piped up, walking into the kitchen.

"Yeah. My internal clock wakes me up before ten though. If I sleep past ten, I was either drinking the night before, or I'm dead." Andelko said, looking to the black-haired Armenian.

"I didn't know you drank, Andy." Tino commented.

"I used to drink, but that was in my early twenties. Man, that reminds me of how old I am compared to you two."

"You're only three years older than me, and well, five ahead of Tino here." Alexianos chuckled.

"Ugh… I'm getting old. Being thirty sucks."

"Hey, feel bad for Pavla. She's thirty-five."

"That's Pavla though. She looks and acts like someone Tino's age."

"Age has been good to her. She'll be the envy of the world when she's fifty and looks thirty. I find it amazing how she manages to look so youthful and feminine, when working such a hard job as construction."

"She does harder jobs than I did and still manages to be womanly."

"Yet she could probably manage to bench all three of us."

The three in the kitchen laughed at Alexianos' comment.

"Oh, man. Just, wow, Alex. You really said that." Andelko wiped a tear from his eye.

"Leave it to me to start off the morning great, with a bowl of 'what the fuck did Alex just say"." More laughter ensued.

"Cereal jokes now, Alex? What crack are you smoking?" Andelko asked jokingly.

"Oh no, you've found out my secret! Quick, Tino, to the Finn-mobile!" Alex pointed to the door. Andelko laughed heartily, as did the other two. It was impossible to contain such laughing, with Alexianos' puns about Pavla's manliness, cereal, and this "Finn-mobile".

"Ah, man… Alex, you made my morning." Andelko said.

"You're welcome." Alex replied, grinning.

The room went silent as Andelko's phone rang; the Croatian grabbed the phone from his pocket, checking the caller ID.

"It's Novak…" He muttered.

"It's probably for the best that you answer it." Tino said. Andelko nodded and answered the call, holding the phone up to his ear.

"Hello?"

"_Andelko… It's Novak. I'm going to make this call as brief as possible, since I'm at work right now. I'm going to file for divorce. I recommend you get yourself a lawyer, unless you just want to give me everything you have now."_

"What more can you take from me? I lost my job, and I don't have a home because of you."

"_Ivan has instructed me to get as much out of the divorce as possible. I'm sorry, Andelko, but I don't want to be on the losing side of this. I've got bills to pay."_

"You're fucking crazy, Novak. Why can't we just go our separate ways, and not have to deal with inequalities in finance? Why do you want to just keep taking from me?"

"_You don't have to pay bills now. I do. With a job like mine, I need all the money I can get."_

"But Novak.. This is absurd. Why the hell did you kick me out in the first place, over something as simple as losing my job? I know the job market is tough, but I can easily find something else with my credentials."

"_I have my reasons."_

"Like what?"

"_I cheated on you."_

"You… You did what…?"

"_I cheated on you two months ago, and it's killed me inside ever since. It was only one night that I spent in disloyalty, but my betrayal is… It's simply too much on my shoulders. You deserve better than me."_

"Novak… Wh-Who was it?"

"_I've got to go, Andelko. I will call you once the school day is over." _Novak abruptly hung up, and Andelko stood there in shock. It felt like his heart was twisting and contorting in his chest; Novak had _cheated_ on him.

"What'd he say?" Tino asked.

"H-He told me that he's filing for divorce, and that I should get a lawyer… A-And that he cheated on me two months ago…" Andelko responded quietly.

"Oh my… So there's no way he's going to take you back now…"

"Not that I know of… I-I don't know what I ever did to deserve this from him of all people…"

"I'm so sorry about all this, Andelko… I know how going through a divorce feels. It sucks, a lot. No matter what you get out of it."

"I don't want anything from him, but apparently, he wants everything from me… I don't understand why he's turned so volatile…"

"I don't understand either… I guess these things just happen."

"I can't believe that he cheated on me… He had to hang up before he could tell me who it was…"

"It's so unlike someone like him to cheat… Knowing Novak, no one would expect him to do something like that."

"I know… A-Apparently I'm not good enough for him…"

"Andy, don't think that way… You were good enough for him, and you still are. You devoted five years of your life to him. Five years. Finding someone as loyal as you is rare. Finding someone as loyal as you, with your personality, is even more rare."

Tino sighed. "I know Novak's standpoint here in your guys' divorce… Not meaning to sound like a bad person, but I cheated on my ex-husband with Alexianos here, and it weighed on my mind heavily. It got to the point where I couldn't take being so disloyal, so I did what I had to do. I went through with a divorce… I got nearly everything I possibly could have out of that divorce, but I regret it now. I left my ex with next to nothing to his name. Novak… hopefully will come to his senses before he takes anything else from you. Since you've lost your job, you don't have any income, and since he kicked you out, you don't have a permanent residency."

"Hopefully I can get a cheap apartment sometime soon, and get unemployment checks until I can get a job…"

"You can stay here for as long as you need though. I'd prefer it if you got a job before you moved anywhere, so that you have some financial security. You can list this place as your residency until you get your own place."

"Tino… You've done too much for me already, I couldn't just live here for what'll probably be a few months before I can find a job…"

"Think nothing of it, Andelko. You're going through a rough patch in your life; Alex and I are here to help out. Right, jan?" Tino turned to Alexianos.

"Of course. Feel free to stay as long as you need. It doesn't bother me at all." Alexianos said.

"Okay… I-I feel kind of stupid asking this, but do you guys know any good lawyers…?" Andelko asked.

"I can give you the information for the lawyer I had when I was going through my divorce. His name is Lukas Bondevik."

"L-Luke was your lawyer?"

"You know him?"

"He's married to one of my former coworkers; Mathias. Mat always talks about him. There's no way you could work with the man and not know who Luke was."

"Oh, right! I remember Lukas mentioning Mathias when we were talking once. I think back when I was getting divorced, he and Mathias were only dating though."

"Yeah. They got married last year, if I can recall correctly."

Tino sighed a bit and looked to his watch. "I better get going to work. Feel free to get some breakfast you two; it's finished so… Yeah." The Finn went over to Alexianos, hugging the man and giving him a kiss. "I'll be back later, jan."

"Don't work yourself to death, Tino." Alex said.

"I'll be sure not to." Tino replied, looking to Andelko. "Take it easy, alright?"

"I'll try." Andelko replied. Tino smiled a bit, then set off to work.

Andelko sighed and leaned against the wall.

"Something wrong?" Alexianos asked.

"I really don't know what I'm going to do… This is such a devastating blow to me."

"I can understand that. Trust me though, once it's all over, you'll be glad that you got through it."

"Have you ever been through a divorce?"

"No, but Tino has, and I was there to watch the entire process through his emotions. Through the entire thing, he looked like hell. He lost a lot of weight and wasn't sleeping well…. But when it was over, he went back to normal. The stress was killing him, but once the stressing factor in his life was gone, he looked so much better, and could act like himself."

"I don't even want to go through this, Alex… This is my worst nightmare; this is worse than growing up during a war."

"You grew up in a war…?"

"I lived in Croatia during the Croatian War. I was just a kid, but I can remember everything so vividly… I was born on an island called Vis, but moved to Vukovar when I was around five years old… Vukovar… it was prosperous, for the most part. My family liked it there… Up until 1991... The Croatian War had began… We didn't expect it, but… The Serbians attacked Vukovar, beginning an 87-day siege."

"My father was killed in the fighting, but my mother and I survived for fifty days before we managed to get out of the town. We managed to make it to Zagreb after a while… We stayed there for about a week, before we fled back to the island where I was born. Vis… it was never attacked by the Serbs. It was like a haven for my mother and I… We felt horrible for leaving my father's body behind in Vukovar, but… We had no choice."

"I lived in Vis until 1997. I was fifteen at the time when my mother and I came to the United States. We lived in New York for four years, until my mother died of a heart attack. She left me everything in her possession, seeing that she had written a will back when we were in Croatia. I inherited all of her money, the home we lived in, as well as a speck of property in Vis that she had owned. I sold the house, sold the property in Vis, paid for a funeral for her, then went back to Croatia to try to find where my father ended up…"

"He hadn't been buried after he had died, but instead, tossed aside in a line of bodies… From there, once the Serbs got a hold of his body, he was tossed in a pit along with the bodies of those executed in the Vukovar massacre… I placed some flowers at the site of the mass grave, then fled from Croatia. I decided to come here to Los Angeles, and spent my time here studying and soon getting a job in construction… I never forget those days in Vukovar though. I never will. Those kinds of things you just do not forget."

"… Wow… I knew you were Croatian, but I didn't think you had lived in Croatia during the war… You're lucky you managed to get out of Vukovar, huh?"

"Yeah… Very lucky…"

"Losing both of your parents like you did must have been devastating… Losing your father in the war, and once you thought you were safe in the United States, you tragically lose your mother… Do you have any other family?"

"The only other family I had was killed in the war. My uncle had been in the police force in Vukovar. He was one of the first to get killed."

"… So you're the only Begovich left then, huh?"

"Precisely… You would think I would go straight in order to pass on my last name, but quite frankly, I'm gay and I'm staying that way. I'm going to write out a family tree, just so people can know that my family existed. Once I die, the Begovich name will go with it. If I have a family tree written out, maybe people will look at it and remember something about my family."

"Man… That's just a tough fate. You're the last Begovich, and you're gay nonetheless."

"Most people criticize me for not caring to pass on my family name. I just tell them what my family has been through, and say that some things are better left to rest. My family has been through too much; I feel it's best if I let it go. Besides, being the last Begovich kind of gives me a legacy."

"Yeah… Well, anyways, shall we eat? I'm sure you're hungry."

"Yeah, really."


	2. There Was Guilt In His Veins

**A/N: **Been a while since I've updated this, huh? Well, I saw the poll on my profile, and noticed that this story was voted on (though only once). This is a story I put a lot of effort into the first chapter for, so I think, with some more effort, I can make it something great. So, here's the 2nd chapter of Volatile.

**xxxxx**

Sitting at his desk in his classroom, Novak set his cell phone down with a sigh. Students were filing into the room, sitting in their seats, chatting with friends or sifting through notes.

Novak taught Anatomy and Physiology; it had been his dream ever since he had first begun studying the human body as a teenager. He found it fascinating from day one, and it led him to his current career.

"Mr. Begovich-Novkovic, what notes are we taking today?" A blonde haired student named Alfred Jones asked. He was a bright Senior, though he had tendencies to be hyperactive and not stop talking. Ever. Novak was on the boundary of telling the kid to take some Ritalin.

"Axial skeleton… and…" Novak took a breath. "Could you would please remove the 'Begovich' part of my surname from your vocabulary? That would be wonderful…"

"Why?" Alfred asked as he turned through the pages of his Anatomy notebook to find a blank page. Novak sighed heavily.

"I am going through a divorce from my husband right now… it's tough for me, but it's probably tougher on him, I'm not going to lie."

"Aw, man. That sucks. What happened? I mean, just last week you were boasting about how great he was to you on your birthday." Alfred was digging a bit too deep on the subject; Novak pointed a finger at the student.

"I'm going to cut you off there, Alfred. This isn't a topic we should discuss. It's just between me and my soon-to-be ex-husband."

He waited for the rest of the students too file in, putting on a façade of eagerness to teach and wearing a smile on his face to make the students not worry. In all reality, he was tired as all hell. He didn't get any sleep the previous night.

He wrote on the chalkboard a note to the students; _'Please refrain from calling me Mr. Begovich-Novkovic. Simply call me Mr. Novkovic from here on out. Personal issues have arisen.'_

Some students asked questions about the note, but he ignored them and continued on with the lesson on the Axial skeleton. He tried to get through the class without thinking of the divorce, but it was impossible. When the students were writing down notes that he had written on the board, there was a minute-long moment of complete silence, and for some odd reason, Novak could hardly stand it. The silence was eating away at his mind, filling it with thoughts of Andelko.

He urged himself to continue on. It took a lot out of him, but he made it through the lesson with minimal questions from the students. With five minutes left in the 50-minute class, he sat at his desk, looking at his old flip-phone that sat beside his laptop.

A student, a Sophomore named Lillian Zwingli, approached his desk and asked him a question about the lesson he had taught, and Novak explained it, a smile on his face. God, he hated faking smiles like this and acting happy. He wasn't happy. He was just so damned confused.

"Do you understand now?" He asked after clarifying the material. Lillian nodded her head and returned to her seat next to Alfred, chatting with him cheerfully. Those two were his best students in the class. They were complete opposites, but they were great people, even though they were so young. He knew Alfred was caring, but he spouted out his thoughts without regard to what he said until it got him in trouble. Lillian was more reserved, but still chatty, and her father Vasch was the main security guard of the school. She was not to be messed with by any means. Novak recalled when a student had picked on her and had gotten tasered for it. Messy situation for Vasch, but he managed to keep his job.

Novak was stirred from his thoughts about his students by his cell phone ringing loudly. He picked it up and answered it.

"Novak Novkovic speaking."

"_Novak, it's Andelko… I know I'm the last person you need to be talking to right now, but it's killing me. Who was it that you cheated with? Please, just state a name. I'll let you take whatever the hell you want, I just want to know who it was…"_

Novak sighed heavily. "Listen here, Andelko, I told you I'd call you after the school day is over to discuss this."

"_Why does it have to wait? Novak, I don't understand why you're doing these things… I love you, and I'm so fucking confused and lost right now. Why did you cheat and who was it with? What did I do that made you cheat on me? What was my fault?"_

"Andelko, I…" Novak sighed shakily. By this time, the class was quieter, some listening in on his conversation. "If you knew who it was, you'd never forgive me."

"_Then who was it?! Why does it have to be such a secret, Novak? You've kicked me out of the house, and you're putting us through a divorce that shouldn't have to happen!"_

"It was Branko! There! Are you happy now that you know?"

"… _You… You've got to be kidding me, Novak… Wh-Why did you…?"_

"To be quite frank, I don't even know why I cheated on you, but I did, and I can't live with that thought in my head while I'm married to you. I'm getting this divorce to spare my own sanity, and because you deserve better than me."

"_Wh-What did I do to deserve this from you?"_

"Nothing, Andelko. I… I did the wrong, and it's my burden to bear. You don't deserve this, but I'm not going to let this divorce ruin my life… I have so much more to my life than you left to live…"

"_Why is it so hard to live with it, if… God damn it, Novak, I can't even articulate… This is just so fucking ridiculous…"_

"It may be ridiculous, but this is all for your benefit, Andelko."

"_How is kicking me out of my home and leaving me with absolutely nothing a fucking benefit?! Sure, maybe I deserve better, but I fucking love you, Novak! Isn't that what love is about? Accepting the one you love, ignorant to their mistakes and flaws?"_

"My mistake of cheating weights too heavily on my mind for me to continue being with you, Andelko. Don't you understand? I've hated myself for two months now, and this is my only solution to stop hating myself. I don't know what else to do, especially since it was Branko I did it with!"

The bell rung for the student to head to their next class, and they left silently. Novak knew gossip would spread quickly about his argument over the phone, but he didn't care at this point, and quite frankly, it seemed Andelko didn't either.

"_Fuck you, Novak… Just, fuck you. You're so god damned illogical with all of this! I don't know what the hell is going through your mind when you… when you decide to tear apart what we have. I thought this marriage was perfect, but obviously I married the wrong man. Now that you've got me so pissed off at you, I'm actually supporting your god damned choice to get a divorce. I'll be getting a lawyer of my own here soon, and I'm not going to let you ruin me."_

"Good luck with that, then. I suppose the next time I will speak with you will be in court."

"_Yeah. See you in court."_

Novak hung up his phone angrily, tossing it on his desk and breathing shakily. God damn it, this was frustrating. He wanted to go through with this divorce. He had to. His guilt for cheating on Andelko wouldn't go away without it; he had to do this for his own good.

He looked to the door as a tall figure entered; it was Ivan. Novak's best friend and a Biology teacher whom he worked with. The man who was half guiding Novak through the divorce.

"How are things going?" Ivan asked, leaning against the Serb's desk. Novak sighed shakily.

"I just got off the phone with Andelko… I can't believe I just argued with him over the phone in front of the class like that… Maybe we weren't right for each other after all… He… He aggravates me, but… Ivan, I still love him…" The Anatomy teacher explained. "I want this divorce, but at the same time, it's killing me."

"I know how that feels." Ivan said, placing a comforting hand on the green-eyed man's shoulder. "I went through a divorce too. It wasn't easy, but I feel better now that it's all over with. He and I have gone our separate ways, and are happier now than we were with each other. And we don't hate each other either. Sure, we don't get along anymore, but we're not at each other's throats."

"I just…" Novak resisted the tears stinging at his eyes. "… I guess I don't have many options left to me… I can't support him anymore and keep the house, and God knows I'm not able to buy a new one or even rent a decent apartment if I stay with him and lose the house. I'm behind on bills anyways… Teacher salary sucks, and Andelko didn't get paid much either… Combine that and we were just barely scraping by… Andelko made it easy to bear, but I know without him having a job, I won't be able to even scrape by… If I do get money out of him, I should be able to live for at least a while before I can get some kind of alternative source of income…"

"You could always ask for some help from your parents back in Serbia."

"They're poor enough as is, Ivan. I highly doubt they could help me even if they wanted to. Ever since my father was diagnosed with cancer, I know they're struggling to pay medical bills from his treatments."

"I would help you out if I could, but my hands are tied as far as finance comes. I can guide you through this divorce, and that's about it."

"I… I thank you for that, but God this is tough…"

"I know, but you're a strong man. You'll get through it. Have you told Branko about this situation yet?"

"No… I… I'm afraid to talk to him. He's Andelko's best friend, and I cheated on Andelko with him… I don't know what to do about Branko. I just want to shove him out of my life. I mean, I have no feelings for him at all. It was just a one night stand that never should have happened."

"Andelko will end up telling him, I'm sure."

"Sadly, I have to agree." Novak sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair, trying to relax and keep himself composed for the next class. As the students filed in, Ivan leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"If you ever need anything, you just contact me, alright? I can ask my father about money to pay for a lawyer so you don't end up in a ditch."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Novak said. Ivan nodded his head.

"Just in case though, my offer of help still stands. Take it easy, alright? We'll talk later." Ivan stood and headed out the door, heading back to his classroom. Novak ruminated on the man's words for a moment before taking a deep breath to try to calm his nerves. Why was it at the most inconvenient times that he craved a cigarette?

He sat at his desk as the bell rang, watching as a few students hurried in late. He didn't bother to hand out detentions for lateness; he in all reality didn't care at the moment. His mind was stuck on the divorce.

"Hey Mr. Begovich-Novkovic, what's the lesson for the day?" One student asked. Novak pondered how ignorant the student was to the note that was clearly written on the board, and it damn near broke him. He was trying so hard to remain composed, but it was incredibly difficult.

Novak simply pointed a finger at the note, not caring to answer the student's question.

"What? What personal issues have come up, man?"

"Don't bug me today, please, Joey. I'm going through a rough situation, and the last thing I need is to be pestered. I'm not trying to be rude; I just am having a really hard time right now with my life." Novak pleaded with the student.

"What could possibly be going on that's changing your last name?" A student that sat next to the rather blatantly rude one smacked the kid in the arm and told him quietly to shut up. Novak released a shaky breath, running hand through his hair, then standing and clearing his throat.

"Today's lesson is on the Axial skeleton. Just get your notes out, and all you need to do is listen and write down what I write on the board. If you want to buff up your notes later, the textbook is a good place to look."

As he went through the lesson, he managed to keep his mind occupied, but when he was finished, immediately his mind was back to the divorce. He sat down at his desk and checked his email on his laptop, only to see a shocking email.

It was from Branko. He read it silently while the students spent their time chatting.

_From: CrnaGoraPride45_

_Subject: Divorce?!_

_Dear Novak,_

_Andelko confronted me a few minutes ago about the divorce, and how he knows what went on between you and me. Though I knew he would find out sooner or later, I was completely blindsided by the fact that you had kicked him out after he lost his job, and are in the process of getting a divorce._

_I know your guilt for what went on weighs heavily on you, but for it to come out at this time is just terrible. You're just dealing blow after blow on Andelko! Are you really that heartless? I mean, I'm actually siding with Andelko on this one! Though he's pissed at me, and quite frankly, he and I won't be friends anymore after all this, I am totally shocked at your actions!_

_I always thought you were a good guy, and it's true you were, but it was a façade, wasn't it? You must be crazy or heartless or just randomly decided to hate the man you love, because this is completely uncalled for even after cheating on him. It shouldn't have come out like this; you should have told him the night after it happened. He would have understood, I'm sure._

_I just want you to know that I am absolutely infuriated by you and the actions you have taken. Andelko is a wonderful man. You were too, at one point, but my perspective on who you are has drastically changed. You're nothing but a cold, heartless bastard, Novak. I hope you enjoy loneliness, because you're getting no sympathy from me, Andelko is most likely never returning to you, and I'm sure once people know why you got divorced and what happened to cause it, you'll lose everything you thought you had._

_Sincerely,_

_Branko Njegos_

Novak couldn't restrain himself anymore. This hateful email had broken him. Tears streamed down his cheeks; he couldn't compose himself. He closed out of the email and leaned back in his chair, covering his face with a hand, unable to cease the quivering of his fingertips, and unable to keep himself from crying. He couldn't possibly be half as heartless as Branko made it seem; after all, he had only gotten Andelko's point of view. It still hurt though. It still hurt terribly.

"Are you alright, Mr. Novkovic?" A student named Peter asked. Novak shook his head.

"N-No." He responded quietly. "I-I'm not alright." He stood and exited the classroom, walking down the hall quickly to Ivan's classroom. He stepped in for a moment, interrupting the Russian's Biology class. Ivan turned to the Serb, confused, but concerned.

"I-Ivan, can I speak to you for a moment?" Novak asked. Ivan ushered the other teacher to his office and shut the door. The students could probably still hear them speaking, but it didn't matter.

"What happened, Novak? What's wrong?" Ivan asked, sitting the man down and crouching in front of him.

"B-Branko just sent me an email. I-It was very hateful and spiteful; h-he believes me to be heartless, and I-I… I-I'm regretting ever sleeping with him just that one night. I-I've regretted it for two months now, a-and it's biting me in the ass… Ivan, I don't know if I can go through with all of this, a-and be happy afterwards."

"It's too late to stop now, though. You've lost Andelko, and though everything seems to be turning on you, I promise, I'm here for you. I'll help you through this. Trust me; I know exactly how you feel. When I divorced Tino, everything hurt and it seemed that nothing was going right. I even considered suicide an option at one point, but I made through it, and I didn't have the support of anyone to get me through it. You have me, Novak. I will help you as much as I possibly can."

"A-Andelko deserves better than me because of who I am and what I've done, but I'm just making it worse for him… I-I'm such a damn hypocrite… Saying I-I'm helping him because he deserves better, but kicking him out of his own house a-and saying that I'm going to take everything from him… I-Ivan, I don't know what to do…"

"Just take a few breaths… Everything will be alright in the end. I promise. I've been through your situation before, Novak… I promise you, everything will turn out okay." Ivan wrapped his arms around the other man and hugged him tightly. The two were close friends; it was only right that they would care for each other, especially in a time of need.

"I-I just want this over with quickly… This divorce is going to tear me limb from limb and leave me for dead…" Novak stated, hugging Ivan back, grasping the fabric of the other man's shirt tightly.

"You should probably leave work early, Novak… There's no way you can teach like this."

"I-I can't… I can't leave work early; who would replace me? They can't just call in a substitute o-on this short of notice…"

"This is my last class of the day. I'll replace you. What is the current lesson on?"

"The Axial skeleton…"

"I can teach that. I know plenty about Anatomy and Physiology. I can teach either Biology or Anatomy, you know."

"Y-Yeah… but… I don't want to have to go to the office and tell them that I'm leaving early because I'm too unstable to teach because I'm going through a divorce… What'll the administrators think of me?"

"Then you can hang out here in my office and try to calm down… How many classes are there left to teach to for Anatomy?"

"Just this next one…"

"Alright. Will you be alright in here?"

Novak nodded his head. "I-I should be… I-I… never mind…"

"No, no, tell me what's on your mind."

"I-I really don't want to be alone in my home tonight, Ivan… I-Is there some way you could… I don't know…" Novak trailed off.

"I could stay over at your place tonight, if you'd like. I'll be like a crutch for you for as long as you need. Support, you know? It's what friends are for." Ivan smiled and pat Novak's shoulder gently. "Ever since high school you and I have been very close. I'm glad I'm able to help you out."

"Th-Thanks, Ivan… Really, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I'm going to address my class real quick, and then I'll go to your classroom. They'll just be taking notes, correct?"

Novak nodded his head. "Yeah… There's a packet on my desk that I use to teach the skeletal system. Axial is in there; fourth or fifth page, I think."

"Alright. You can just hang out here until this next hour is over. Then you can head home, and I'll be there shortly." Ivan left the office to address his class. Novak could hear his accented words perfectly even through the shut office door; that meant the students had probably heard everything.

"Please excuse that interruption from Mr. Novkovic. He is going through a rough time in his life, and I am trying my best, as a friend, to help him. Whatever you heard or saw, please do not take it outside of this classroom. But back to Biology. Since we only have around two minutes left in class, we'll finish our notes tomorrow. If you have any questions, next hour I'll be teaching Mr. Novkovic's Anatomy class. Stop in, and I'll answer your questions when I can. I won't be waiting around after next hour is over, because I have things I need to do, but I'll be here tomorrow morning if you don't have a chance to talk to me today."

Time passed quickly, and soon, Novak found himself driving home. It was hard for him to distract himself from the divorce; it clouded his mind and he couldn't think straight. When he got home, he sat on the couch in the living room, staring at the black television screen. He saw his reflection in it; his hair was a mess and his clothes were disheveled. He looked like he had been hit by a truck, and quite frankly, that truck may as well have been his own. He had caused this, he was making it worse, and by God, he knew it wasn't going to end well, no matter what happened. Ivan could help with what he could, but the Russian's hands were tied.

The silence got to Novak; it filled his mind through his ears in a destructive, cloying nothingness. And that was what he was putting himself through; a path to nothing. Or at least, nothing good.

After around fifteen minutes of sitting alone, staring at the blank screen of the TV, tears silently dripping down Novak's cheeks, Ivan arrived at the home. The Biology teacher walked right in, knowing he need not knock at the door.

He walked over, long legs taking seemingly large steps, though they were average for the 6'4" Russian. He placed himself next to Novak on the couch, placing a comforting hand on the Serb's shoulder.

"We'll get through this, Novak. I promise."

Novak looked down, uttering quietly. "… I-I always thought I'd be the kind to look back on the tears and laugh… but I never thought I'd be the kind look back on the laughter and cry..."


End file.
